The Power Of Presence
by pretty in orange
Summary: A girl with a secret, a boy with a smile... SatoshiXOC, some YasuchikaXOC. T for language. Formerly The Fire Of A Temper.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm so out of it, but I promised the first chapter up soon, so I'm doing my best to make sure it goes up. So let's get started, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, but I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Hi!" Satoshi peered at the girl who was sitting directly to the left of the kendo club door. "Do you want to join?" He gave her a smile and offered a hand to help her up.<p>

"I'll go." The girl's voice could barely even be considered a whisper; it was breathy and softer than cashmere. She stood and heaved her bag over her shoulder, heading for the exit. "Goodbye." She murmured as she headed for the door.

"Wait!" Satoshi considered chasing her down, but somehow that didn't seem a wise idea.

The girl didn't give him a glance as she slipped out into the sunshine. She was just gone, the way a shadow could disappear with enough light.

"Who was she?" Satoshi muttered as he turned to open the kendo club door.

"Hey." Yasuchika smirked as his best friend jumped. Zona was pressed against the blonde's side, looking up at him.

"Shouldn't you be in Karate club?" Satoshi dropped the keys and Zona darted down to retrieve them, holding the keys up to him.

"There was an... incident." Zona smirked; she was apparently enjoying telling him this. "No one was hurt, but long story short, there's a broken window. They told Chika to leave the club closed for the day so they could get the glass cleaned up and replace it."

"Long story short I'm never letting new people join the karate club again." Yasuchika added and Zona laughed, causing the boy to blush.

"Alright." Satoshi looked between them, knowing he could get the full story later if he wanted it. "Do either of you two know who that girl was?"

"Koemi Mizuko." Zona sighed as Yasuchika shook his head. "Koemi is usually pretty quiet, but she has a temper like a lighter." The girl looked at Satoshi for a long moment before adding, "You could probably handle her."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Satoshi blinked at her in surprise.

"You know." Zona stepped away from Yasuchika and then promptly dragged him down the hall.

Satoshi exhaled in one big whoosh, then unlocked the kendo club door, propped the door open and started the club.

Still, he couldn't help but be curious, what had Koemi been doing waiting by the kendo club door?

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><p>When Satoshi exited the club, he found her there again, her dress in a puddle around her, a romance novel in her hands.<p>

"Do you have a crush on me?" Satoshi asked, grinning. "Or do you want to join kendo club?"

"Shut up, Morinozuka! I'm reading!" Koemi whacked him over the head with her book. Luckily, it was a paperback.

"Hm, "The Samurai's Girl" huh?" Satoshi read the title as he sat beside her, studying her face. "Interesting choice."

Koemi sprung up, grabbing her bag and dashing for the front door.

Satoshi got the strange feeling that he was losing in this little game of hers.

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><p>AN: The first chapter didn't go too well, but I should have the next one up tomorrow depending on weather. It's supposed to storm tonight and tomorrow, so I don't know. Anyway, what did you think?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: It feels like forever since I added to this... I do have an excuse my sleep is whacked. Anyway, let's get started.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, but I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>Satoshi saw Koemi Mizuko again that Saturday night, but this time, her appearance was much more disturbing.<p>

Because this time, Koemi was wandering around the Morinozuka's yard in the moonlight, clad in a black dress and her hair tied up in a bun. She either looked very formal or very funeral-esque. Either way, it was kind of disturbing to the hardly-ever perturbed Satoshi Morinozuka.

Satoshi slipped into the yard, creeping up behind her. He wanted to know more about this girl who disappeared the moment he started to discover something about her.

"Get away from me, Morinozuka!" She growled, whirling on him. She was a mess of black makeup, eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara, all of which was leaking down her face in rivers of tears. "I don't want to be involved!"

Satoshi blinked. "You're in my yard." He muttered, and then added, "What are you doing here?" He reached out and touched her shoulder, just a brush of his hand across her sleeve, but she disappeared in a flash, lifting her skirt and running for the street just as fast as she could manage.

Satoshi found himself speechless, and he didn't chase her. As he looked down, he saw something dark in the moonlight, and as he touched it, he realized they were black silk roses.

This girl had more mysteries to her than a Nancy Drew novel, but Satoshi wouldn't give up so easily.

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><p>"I really doubt she'll kill you." Zona said as she sat with Satoshi and Yasuchika in the cafeteria that Monday. "I mean, what could you have done to warrant murder?"<p>

"What are you reading now?" Yasuchika asked, offhand.

"Some legal thriller, don't interrupt me right now, Chika." Zona shot a glare at her boyfriend. "My point is she has to be mourning something other than your planned death. She has a small record of some violence, but in the reports, it was always said that she was antagonized. Did you pick on her, Satoshi?"

"Do I ever pick on anyone besides you and Yasuchika?" Satoshi laughed as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"My point exactly. She has no reason to go after you." Zona shrugged. "You're probably just caught up in one of her twisted little whims. You say you found black silk roses?"

"Yeah, she left them in my yard." Satoshi shrugged, mouth still full.

"Ew, Satoshi, don't talk with your mouth full." Zona rolled her eyes. "Anyway, in some rituals, black silk flowers are for luck. You didn't burn them, did you?"

Satoshi swallowed obediently. "I planned to give them back to her." He shrugged again. "I thought she left them there by accident."

"Maybe she likes you." Zona mused. "Or maybe they're actually in mourning because she thinks you're going to lose someone close to you."

"You're not going to start talking about methods of murder at the lunch table again, are you?" Yasuchika blinked at his girlfriend.

"I don't think so." Zona rolled her eyes. "I say you try to talk to her again. As long as you don't pick on her she shouldn't try to do anything bad."

"Alright..." Satoshi nodded, he wanted to find out more about Koemi Mizuko, whatever it took...

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><p>"Hey, there you are again!" Satoshi grinned at Koemi, who was seated directly outside the kendo club door again. "Want to explain why you were in my yard Saturday night?"<p>

"I don't want to talk about it..." Koemi murmured, hunching her shoulders up. "I just don't."

"Do you want your flowers back?" Satoshi asked, because he didn't know what else to say.

"Keep them." Koemi stood, grabbing her backpack off the floor. "I'm in my own hell anyway."

"What does that mean?" Satoshi grabbed her hand and received a glare. "Hey, could you translate for me? What's wrong?"

"Nothing that you can fix, little Morinozuka." Koemi tore her hand from his grip and rubbed her eyes. "Nobody can change what I've done, ok? Just let it go and let me do what I need to. I'm not hurting anyone, so just let it go, ok?"

Satoshi blinked as she dashed down the hallway, banged out the exit and was gone again.

Now, he was _really_ curious.

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><p>AN: I wanted a longer chapter but couldn't manage it. I'm just really worn out from character profiling my fiction. And I still have at least four more to go tomorrow... Anyway, what did you think?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: it's likely this will be the only add of the night, because tonight I'm trying to work on fiction and pull an all-nighter.

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or make a profit from this, but I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Koemi, what are you doing?" Zona darted around the back of the school to where Koemi was burning something in a large hole in the ground.<p>

"I'm purging myself of my sin." Koemi tossed another live red rosebud into the fire. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Getting yourself _another_ strike on your record." Zona used the shovel that was lying nearby to throw the dirt back into the hole and put out the fire. "Let's go."

"No! I have to finish burning these, or it won't be over!" Koemi clenched the roses in her hands, crushing them. "I just want it to be over... please, let me end this..."

"You need therapy." Zona dragged Koemi out towards the cars that were waiting for them. "It's over as long as you let it be over, Koemi. And I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to, but seriously, get a life. You need a life. Why don't you try talking to Satoshi?"

"I can't do it." Koemi let the crushed rosebuds slip out of her hands. "I just can't. I'm a horrible person, I can't do that to him..."

"He likes you." Zona huffed as if that explained everything. "Now go home and please stop trying to burn things on school property." She got into the back of her car and as it disappeared, Koemi slipped back into the school.

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><p>"Koemi! Come to see me?" Satoshi grinned at her, but it faded when he really saw her expression. "What's wrong?" He noticed the cuts all over her hands, and the tears that were threatening to slip down her cheeks.<p>

"I did something terrible, and I'm sorry." Koemi bowed and then turned to run, but this time Satoshi grabbed her and held on for all he was worth.

"Talk to me." He held her wrists, trying to make sure that he didn't hurt her. "What happened? What could you have possibly done that was so horrible?"

"I can't... don't make me say it." Koemi ripped her wrists from his grasp and stepped back. "Please..."

"Come on, it couldn't have been that terrible." Satoshi debated for a moment before pinning her to the wall directly behind her. "I can keep a secret. What did you do?"

"I can't stand myself, I can't..." Koemi had locked eyes with Satoshi, and the tears that had been threatening finally slipped down her cheeks. "I deserve to have died right then, but I didn't. I didn't get what I deserved, so I have to cleanse my soul..."

"No one deserves to die." Satoshi held her face in his hands, wiped her tears away with his thumbs and stared into her eyes.

"I can't take this Morinozuka!" Koemi screamed, and then managed to compose herself. "Please, let me go... please..."

Satoshi had no other choice, and Koemi disappeared into the schoolyard, stumbling and sobbing.

Satoshi rubbed his thumbs against his fingers. His hands were still wet with her tears, and he was more confused now than ever.

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><p>AN: These chapters are so short... I try, I swear. And what did you think?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I have to be in bed by midnight, and I want to add to everything, and I have two character sheets to do for fiction work. It's going to be a hurried night.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or make a profit from this; I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>That Friday, Satoshi slammed his lunch tray down at his usual table with Zona and Yasuchika. "She's driving me insane!" He proclaimed, his usually happy demeanor missing. "I can't take this, I just want to know what's going on with her, and she won't tell me at all, I'm going to lose my mind."<p>

"Right now, that sounds like a short trip." Zona scribbled something out in her notebook and proceeded to ignore both her boyfriend and his best friend.

"She had a bad day." Yasuchika motioned vaguely at his girlfriend. "Why don't you just give up on Koemi? She doesn't seem to want anything to do with you, right? And just the thought of her is driving you up the wall, so just forget it, why don't you?"

"You're so anti-romantic." Zona sighed and reached across the table to smack her boyfriend with the notebook. "I don't know why I'm dating you."

Yasuchika looked sad, but blinked away the tears before turning back to his best friend. "There are better people for you, Satoshi, you don't have to go after someone who treats you like that."

"I want to understand her, that's all... I think." Satoshi emitted a nervous laugh, the first laugh of the day. "I just hate that she's so secretive."

"Meet me before you go to club, Sato." Zona shoved her notebook in her bag and glanced at her best friend. "I can tell you a little bit about her. Not everything, but probably enough that you can figure it out on your own."

"Thanks." Satoshi rolled his eyes at the face Yasuchika made and stood to move to another table. "Will you two please make up? It's not that hard being you two, and you have no reason to fight."

Zona looked away and then moved to Yasuchika's side of the table to talk with him more privately. Satoshi grinned and then moved away to let them have their secrets.

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><p>"You and Yasuchika make up?" Satoshi asked as he and Zona stood by Zona's locker. "I seem to remember hearing something about someone being reprimanded by the staff."<p>

"I'm never letting him kiss me in a cafeteria again..." Zona muttered, and shook her head. "People think I have a soul now. But to the important subject, Koemi Mizuko had a one-sided affection for a high school boy, and she did not know until recently that he had a girlfriend. When Koemi found out, she went a little berserk, she didn't come to school for two days, and now she has all these weird rituals that she thinks she has to do to 'end it' and 'purge herself of her sins'." Zona leaned back against her lockers and bit her lip. "She burns red rosebuds and leaves black silk roses at his house under the light of a full moon, saying a 'ending prayer' she made up. Basically, I think she fell off her cookie, but it could be much more than that. I think maybe she doesn't know where to go from here. Maybe you could help her with that..."

"You knew all along what was going on and you didn't tell me?" Satoshi feigned hurt.

"Sato, I keep everyone's secrets." Zona picked up her bag and started towards the door. "Don't even begin to harp on me for that."

"Wait! I don't have a girlfriend!" Satoshi called after her, receiving some strange looks from passerby.

It took a few minutes, but then it clicked. Koemi had been after Takashi. Takashi had a girlfriend, and that's why the romance was one-sided.

Satoshi had one last thought on that...

It was no wonder that Koemi kept calling him little Morinozuka.

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><p>AN: I tried to end on a lighter note, but there was a lot of information in this chapter and I tried my best. I don't know when I'll update again, I have so much fiction work to do (next chapter and two character sheets on one, and start next story) and my one-shot adds are coming up as well. I'm off to Problematic though, so what did you think?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Before you complain about me not updating lately, I'm going to tell you, I'm sunburned, and I don't have full range of my arms. I kind of feel like I can barely lift my fingers to hit the keys. I just wanted to update tonight, as it will storm badly tomorrow.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or make a profit from this; I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Hey Koemi!" Satoshi flashed the girl a smile as he rattled the keys in the lock of the kendo club. "Don't move. I'll leave you alone. I'll be in here if you want to talk."<p>

Koemi paused mid-push to stand. She curled back against the wall as Satoshi followed his own orders and walked into kendo club, leaving the door open for the other members.

Well, fine. She wanted to stay and he apparently didn't mind her staying, so at least their interests weren't conflicting at the moment. Koemi swallowed and pulled her book closer than it needed to be.

_He's so much like his brother it's scary._

The thought hit her like a speeding semi and she nearly swallowed her own tongue trying to keep the tears away. She didn't want to cry, and no matter how many silk roses she left on his lawn or how many rosebuds she burned, the pain wouldn't go away. She still couldn't believe how horrible she had been; Takashi was dating Calyn, it was a horrible thing to hit on Takashi.

Koemi scrubbed at her eyes and tried to go back to reading. Her eyes wouldn't focus; they just kept tearing up no matter what she did.

Laughter inside the club made her peek inside the club. The little Morinozuka was talking to club members, and they were laughing and having a jolly old time. Anger rose in her throat, overtaking the tears, but then Satoshi laughed. Anger melted away, and Koemi couldn't seem to help the smile that dripped onto her face. He was a good person, but he was louder than his sibling, and always smiling.

"Fine. I'll go." Koemi whispered, starting to shove her half-finished homework and books back into her bag. "I don't need to be here, I'm not weak."

"Koemi, you alright?" Satoshi stood in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed. "Come on, you don't have to go, do you?"

"I shouldn't be here." Koemi stood, wobbled for a second and then threw her bag over her shoulder. "Little Morinozuka – Satoshi – you don't need to be my crutch, ok? I don't want to use you because of the trouble I've caused."

"No one's getting used." Satoshi smiled at her, but didn't reach out to touch her, not this time. That had only ever seemed to scare her off, and if she was going to leave she would leave, but he didn't want to be the cause.

Koemi studied him for a long few minutes, and then she shook her head and ran down the hall, away from him.

She had thought about it, and that was what counted. Satoshi wasn't impatient; he could wait as long as it took...

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><p>AN: I know it's short, but like I said, I'm having trouble just getting the keys down. What did you think, a chapter from Koemi's point of view? Well, mostly anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the late update, it has been a long few days. That, and I am _not _a summery girl. I hate the heat, and the sunshine, so I've been worn out. Enough excuses, let's get going.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or make a profit from this; I do own Koemi Mizuko, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>It took three days. Three days before Koemi turned up at his locker, clutching a pink silk carnation and a white silk carnation in one hand, one of her usual books in the other.<p>

"Hey!" Satoshi gave her a big grin as he approached. He had been shocked when she hadn't been waiting at the kendo club door as usual, but this was a pleasant surprise. "You haven't been waiting for me all this time over here have you? You could've came to see me in the kendo club, you know that."

"Here." Koemi tucked the silk flowers into his hand and then darted down the hall before he had a chance to follow or stop her. She disappeared down the hall, but she dropped her book on the way and didn't come back for it.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Zona smiled as she walked up. "Yasuchika said to tell you he'll be a bit late and to please wait for him. Anyway, you know what those mean right?"

Satoshi looked down at the flowers and shook his head.

"White is for friendship." Zona touched the white silk lightly and then moved her gaze to the pink. "And pink is for a crush. You get the idea."

"But she just ran away from me." Satoshi's eyebrows creased in, and he sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

Zona said nothing at first, and then she slipped down the hall and retrieved Koemi's dropped novel, handing it to him. "And now you have an excuse to go find her."

"Have Yasuchika walk you home today." Satoshi grinned and patted the blonde girl's head. "You never let him do that." With that, he grabbed his bag and darted down the hall after Koemi, with Zona's shouts of "sexist" echoing behind him.

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><p>It took Satoshi a good 20 minutes to find Koemi, and he had to sneak into the girls' bathroom to do it. "Koemi, you dropped this." He held the novel out to her.<p>

Koemi leaned against the sink, her hands clenched into fists. "I don't know what to do with myself." She whispered, and she didn't look up at him. "I think... I'm pretty sure that I like you, but... I'm scared that it's only because you're so much like your brother. I don't want to hurt you, l-... Satoshi. I just don't know what to do with myself. I'm sorry."

"Can I give you a hug?" Satoshi asked softly, a gentle smile on his face as he held out his arms. "It might make you feel better."

"Keep talking..." Koemi whispered, even as she took a cautious step towards him.

"I'm not angry at you for liking my brother." Satoshi coaxed, staying still. "And I understand if you don't want to be with me immediately because of how you liked Takashi, but I'm not mad at you. The heart is a funny thing."

Koemi took the last step, closed the distance and hugged Satoshi as tight as she possibly could. Satoshi wrapped his arms around her, and they found solace in each other simply being there.

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><p>In the better part of a month, Koemi had rehabilitated herself to a point where the thought of Takashi Morinozuka no longer made her tear up, and she had wished Calyn all the happiness in the world with Takashi.<p>

She rarely left Satoshi's side the whole time, but her bond with him wasn't an addiction. He wasn't a lifeline; he was a friend, and something she hadn't known very well previously.

Then, almost a month and a half from their white and pink silk flower encounter, Koemi kissed Satoshi in the lunchroom. Within a day, it was a known fact all over the school that they were together.

And that was something that even Takashi could smile at.

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><p>AN: Ugh, I wanted to fit something in here about how Satoshi kept those flowers, but I couldn't. There will not be an epilogue, and what did you think?


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